When it comes to appliance repair anywhere in the U.S., there is always the attempt by those needing the repairs to do what they can to save money, and this goes for a city like Austin, Texas. Saving money on refrigerator repair in Austin differs a bit than in other places, though similarities certainly abound.For starters, Austin is the capital of Texas and is nestled in the Texas Hill Country in central Texas. Now, this brief civics lesson doesn’t seem that interesting until you understand that Austin, like many places in Texas, has wide temperature swings, and perhaps paramount in these swings is the blistering Texas summer heat. Austin & Austin-area residents have had to make sure they keep tabs on the hot temps in an attempt to save their home appliances, namely their refrigerators.Generations of hot temperatures & a fiercely independent streak have allowed folks in Austin to adapt to the climate they are in, and as such, they have refined the art of saving money when it comes to repairs for their fridge:Keep Everything Clean – With the movement of dust & other particles, it’s important to keep condenser coils clean. They are located in different places on different models, but their function is the same. If they happen to be covered in dirt & dust, heat isn’t able to dissipate, making your fridge work harder.Food Needs to Be Cool – Austin has close ties to its Latino residents & the Latin influence has caused greater attention to be paid to family-style cooking. This includes large pots with beans, rice, and even tamales. This manner of cooking in larger batches helps with meal planning. Inevitably, some people tend to chuck hot food straight from their stoves (while still in the cooking vessels) into the fridge. This makes your fridge work extra hard to maintain temperature. The extra work can put a lot of undue stress on your fridge, so let your food cool off before putting it away.Check on Your Door Seal – With a thin piece of paper, you can easily check if your fridge seal is working well. If you close the door with the paper lodged in the door & the paper comes out easily, it means that the seal isn’t tight enough & cool air is lost.Cover Your Food – As recently as two years ago, Austin was seen as a main hub for packaged food options in many arenas of the food world. With that distinction, it stands to reason that Austin residents would have more food packaging in their fridge than others. The problem arises when food of any kind is left uncovered. A refrigerator tries to maintain a cold, dry area. Food that isn’t covered can actually add moisture, which makes your fridge work harder to remove it.Fill Empty Space – Using empty soda bottles, juice containers, or even store-bought water jugs can help keep your fridge full when you aren’t packing it to the gills. It helps keep things cold so your refrigerator doesn’t have to work as hard. As an added bonus you will always have water for the zombie apocalypse.Beer Fridge – Austin is in Texas, and that means that if you look in the garage, you’ll probably seen what is referred to as a “beer fridge”. While it’s nice & convenient, the extreme temps Texas experiences means your making that fridge work too hard. Even with a good Energy Star rating, it might be time to keep the brew in your kitchen fridge.Open to Replacement – Austin residents know that even with all of the ‘secrets’ they can have to help save money on refrigerator repair, it’s always important to know that replacement is always an option. The last thing you want to do is left high & dry at the wrong time.When it comes to refrigerator repair, Austin, much like all of Texas, has made it a skill to get the most of their appliances. They may like to “Keep Austin Weird”, but it looks like they are keeping things smart.
